Deceit, Treachery, and Lies
by Maxine-san
Summary: So, Helga's pregnant? But she's only 18! And Arnold's in love with her? Huh? Wait, Helga's NOT pregnant...and Arnold hates her... But they're married! Just what is going on here? Finished!
1. Part 1

Deceit, Treachery, and Lies - Part 1

_disclaimer_ - I don't own Hey Arnold!

_notes_ - Wrote this back when the movie came out and I was on my HA! kick. Enjoy!

* * *

Pain...major headache...lots of bright lights...WAY too bright...

These were some of the things that flitted through Helga G. Pataki's mind one morning as she reluctantly awoke to an incessant poking in her left shoulder. She groaned, snuggling deeper into the bed she was in, mumbling something about "just five more minutes." The poking only came more rapidly, until Helga finally growled and opened her eyes a bit. She winced at the brightness of the room, even though it was only dimly lit by the sun coming in through the window. Again, Helga tried burying her face deeper into her pillow, only to find that it wasn't near as soft as it was supposed to be.

This new bit of information caused Helga to freeze, and she turned her head slowly up to meet the face of whoever had been poking her. One of his hands was still resting on her left shoulder; he had the other pressed against his forehead, as if to ward off a headache. His eyes were squeezed closed, and Helga had the very distinct impression that he felt as bad as she did.

"Would you mind getting off of me?" Arnold mumbled, the words barely recognizable as he slurred them all together. Helga's eyes widened and for a second, she couldn't move. Then she slowly began to lift herself off of the football-headed boy below her without removing her eyes from his face. She couldn't tell if he knew exactly WHO it was on top of him, and she would prefer to make it out of there while he was still preoccupied with his headache.

In the middle of moving one of her legs across his body in order to get off the bed, she paused and glanced down in confusion. A gasp escaped her as she abruptly dropped herself back onto Arnold, causing him to let out a small whoosh of air, and pulled the blankets up to tuck them in snuggly around her body. He finally removed the hand from his head when he heard the sound of naked flesh hitting naked flesh, and opened his eyes wearily.

'Okay, so apparently he DIDN'T know who it was,' Helga thought briefly as Arnold did a perfect impression of a fish out of water.

His eyes were wide and his mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally managed to gasp out a strangled, "Helga!" Helga allowed a lazy smirk to cross her face as she propped elbows up on either side of Arnold's stomach and rested her chin in her hands.

"How's it goin', football-head?" she asked casually, completely hiding the raging sea of emotion she was feeling inside. Arnold stared at her for a minute before his eyes darted to the side, taking in the room they were in. He didn't recognize it. His eyes returned to Helga's face, barely noting that she was still staring at him expectantly, before they lowered a little, bringing a bright blush to his face. "Ahem," Helga coughed out, none too politely, bringing Arnold's gaze back up to her own. "I do believe my face is up here," she said sarcastically, also turning a light shade of pink. Arnold blinked.

"Could...could you get off me please?" he nervously squeaked out, almost in a whisper. Helga narrowed her eyes and sat up quickly, pulling the sheet with her so she could wrap it around herself. She hurriedly got off the bed, and began looking around the room in a panicked attempt to find something that might tell her what had happened...besides the obvious, that is. Behind her, Arnold frantically grabbed for the leftover blanket on the bed, pulling it up so that it rested across his lap as he sat up. Almost despairingly, he groaned and held his head in his hands, glancing around the room every so often. Helga ignored him as she spotted something in the corner of the room. It was pink, and it was vaguely familiar. Warily, she headed over to it and gingerly picked it up, spreading the material out in her hands. She groaned once she realized what it was.

'Typical morning-after prom scene,' she grumbled in her head, hardly believing what was going on. She looked down at what was in her hands again and sighed. It had been a beautiful dress only yesterday...now it was ripped and torn in more places than Helga wanted to know. Gradually, her stare turned into a glare. In any case, the two of them had certainly been in a hurry.

Helga turned to Arnold, gripping her ruined prom dress in her hands. Tears were starting to well in her already angered eyes as she stared at the boy who was still glancing around the room bewilderedly. She couldn't believe what had happened. Your first time was supposed to be special! Of course, looking on the bright side, at least it was with the one person she had always WANTED to lose her virginity too. But however infatuated with him she may have been, Helga was FAR from the optimist Arnold was. Who cared if he was her first, what did it matter if she couldn't even REMEMBER it! Just as she opened her mouth to say something, someone knocked on the door. She glanced at it for a minute, trying to decide whether or not she should answer, and finally decided she should as the knocking got louder.

"No- Helga! What're you doing?" Arnold hissed, about ready to jump out of the bed in an attempt to stop her.

"Calm down, Arnoldo, I won't tell anyone you're in here," Helga replied sarcastically. She opened the door a crack, peeking out to see who was there.

"Helga? YOU were in there?" Helga blinked. Rhonda! What the...?

"Rhonda, where are we exactly?" she asked after second or so of tense silence, ignoring the shocked look on Rhonda's face. She hugged the sheet closer to her body as a chill briefly went through her.

"You-you're at my house," Rhonda finally replied, shaking off her shock. "Remember? No, I guess you probably don't remember anything. I'm having a hard time myself." She briefly shut her eyes and pressed her palm to her forehead before she continued. "My parents are in the Bahamas for the week, so I decided to throw an after-prom party for us." Helga nodded, suddenly remembering the invitation she had gotten and all the plans that had been made. "So..." Rhonda tried to look over Helga's should as she spoke. "Who's in there with you?"

"No one," Helga answered quickly, shutting the door an inch more. She could see Arnold out of the corner of her eye searching for any clothes of his that had been thrown carelessly around the room. Rhonda nodded skeptically.

"Uh-huh, right," she replied, glancing down at her nails. "Ok, Helga, here's the deal. There're only three people who could be in there with you. Curly...Eugene...and Arnold. And unless you were COMPLETELY trashed last night, I highly doubt it was one of the first two." Helga shrugged.

"Well, princess, you never know." She paused, ignoring Rhonda's doubting stare, before asking, "And why could it only be those three?"

"Because I've already found pretty much everyone else." Helga raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you would think that you would at least have the decency to do it with your date," Rhonda said, sighing at the end. Helga blinked. Crap! Rhonda smiled smugly and crossed her arms.

"We didn't DO anything," Helga finally growled out.

"And THAT'S why you're wrapped in a sheet." Helga blushed.

"I got hot," she said defensively.

"Right," Rhonda snorted.

"So...um, where IS Stinky?" Helga asked after a second or so.

"Oh, don't worry about him, he was just as trashed as you. I believe he's bent over a toilet somewhere right now," Rhonda answered, leaning against the wall.

"Who the hell brought so much alcohol?" Helga muttered, rubbing her forehead wearily. Back in the room, Arnold had given up on finding his shirt and was sitting on the bed in his black pants, waiting for Helga to finish talking.

"Your date, and his two sidekicks."

"Oh, right, I should have know. Neither Stinky, Sid, NOR Harold can ever think on their own."

"Got that right," Rhonda said, chuckling a little.

"So where'd you find everyone else?" Helga asked, adjusting the sheet around her. Rhonda looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to remember.

"Hmm...well, Lila and Nadine were, and still are, downstairs playing chess and Brainy's watching them. I don't think they drank anything. Harold and Patty were in MY room, eww... Uh, let's see..." She paused. "I found Sid and Stinky collapsed on a pool table, Iggy was under it. I haven't found Lorenzo or Sheena yet, but I know they're together somewhere. Phoebe and Gerald are in the room across the hall," she jutted a thumb over her shoulder while Helga's head snapped up at that, her eyes wide. "And then like I said, I have no idea where Curly and Eugene are."

"Or Arnold," Helga mumbled. Rhonda smirked.

"Oh right, and I have NO idea where Arnold could POSSIBLY be," she said sarcastically, raising her voice a little. In the room, Arnold flopped over sideways onto the bed and buried his face into his hands, muffling a groan.

"Did you say Geraldo and Phoebe were in that room?" Helga asked, pointing across the hallway. "I didn't think Pheebs drank alcohol."

"She doesn't," Rhonda said, glancing towards the said room. "From what I remember, which isn't much, but I didn't drink as much as you, you and Gerald had a drinking contest. I have no idea who won. Phoebe was taking care of him and stayed the night in the room. I can assure you though, they're both fully dressed."

"Hmm, I can't say the same for me though, can I?" Helga mused. "Do you have anything I can wear, Rhonda? My dress is a little ruined..."

"You're asking ME for clothes?" Rhonda asked, feigning surprise.

"Yeah, yeah princess, don't get me anything too disgusting."

"Here," Rhonda said, thrusting a pile of clothes into a startled Helga's hands. She blinked.

"That was fast, I didn't even see you leave," she said sarcastically. Rhonda shrugged.

"I was carrying around sets of clothing because I had no idea what I would find," she answered simply.

"Hey, I didn't ask for an explanation!"

"Ugh, you're WELCOME, Helga." The two girls shared a brief smile before Rhonda headed off down the hall and Helga returned to the confines of her room. She turned around to find Arnold glaring at her from his curled up position.

"What?" she asked warily. He didn't reply. "Um, helloooo? I didn't tell her anything, it's not my fault she guessed." He still didn't say anything for a while.

"Uuugh, I feel like I'm gonna throw up," Arnold finally spoke up, turning to lay flat on his back and stare up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, well, do it over there, would ya?" Helga asked, dropping the sheet as she quickly tried to get dressed. Arnold glanced over at her and nearly fell off the back of the bed as he sat up and recoiled in shock.

"Helga! What're you doing!" he practically yelled, unable to turn away. Instead he did his best to keep his eyes on her face. Helga looked at him.

"What's it look like I'm doing, football-head? I'm getting dressed."

"Did you NOT notice that I was in the room!" Helga sighed.

"What does it matter!" she yelled back. "You've obviously seen it all before!" Arnold had no reply to this and grudgingly shut his mouth as a blush worked its way to his cheeks.

"Do...do you think we really...?" He let the sentence trail off as he finally turned away from Helga. She finished dressing before she answered.

"Dunno...anything's possible I suppose. We may never know for sure," she said, plopping down a few feet away from Arnold.

"Why do you say that?" Helga shifted uncomfortably.

"Well...if in about two weeks time, I get that thing that for the first time in my life I will actually be HAPPY to have, then we'll never really find out. If I skip it...I mean, it takes two to tango before a baby comes along," she said, almost casually, as she shrugged. Arnold's head snapped around to meet her gaze, his eyes wide.

"B-baby!" he sputtered, looking horribly nervous all of a sudden. "No...no, Helga, no way!"

"Look, Arnoldo," Helga bit out. "It's NOT my fault. And I didn't say I WAS pregnant, I just said it was a possibility! Crimeny!"

"Helga," Arnold said, suddenly very serious. "It can't BE a possibility. If you're pregnant... I have plans for college, Helga, and so do you! We are WAY too young for this!"

"Do you think I don't know that!" Helga shouted, tears coming to her eyes again. She stood up abruptly, facing Arnold. "If I AM pregnant, I never said you had to stick around. That's where you GUYS are so lucky. You can always run away when something like this happens. The girl, however, has to make changes! In my case, it might mean giving UP college! I wouldn't have time for it, and I would never have an abortion to MAKE time for it! It's not a child's fault that it was created because its parents were so drunk they couldn't see straight!" she shouted out, barely noticing how much her voice had risen. It was all she could do not to let the water in her eyes overflow.

It took Arnold a while to reply, but when he did, he whispered sincerely, "I would NEVER run away, Helga. You know that." He held Helga's gaze for a while before she broke it, wiping her eyes.

"I know," she whispered back, sullenly. "Which is why I'm worried. It would ruin all your plans, Arnold." She sat down next to him again, closer this time. He wrapped an arm around her, almost awkwardly.

"Oh, and YOU'VE been planning this?" Helga took a second to answer, and she tried not to stutter when she did. After all, it DID seem like something she might have planned, back in middle school...

"It's different with me, I didn't have any great future ahead of me."

"I didn't either." Helga rested her head on Arnold's shoulder, and they were silent for a moment before she chuckled.

"Well, isn't this a great way to catch up?" Arnold smirked.

"It has been a while since we last spoke to each other, hasn't it?"

"Spoke to each other? No, not too long. Had an actual conversation? Not since about sophomore year."

"Too long..." Arnold muttered, rubbing his hand in circles on Helga's back.

"Why do we sound so depressed?" Helga asked, sitting up suddenly. "We don't even know what we DID last night."

"I would think that was obvious," Arnold replied, raising an eyebrow.

"No...I mean, aren't you supposed to be...I dunno, sore or SOMETHING after your first ti-" She cut herself off abruptly, realizing she'd said to much. Her eyes slid to the side to glance at Arnold, noticing he was smiling.

"Well at least I know I wasn't the only one," he said, looking towards the ceiling. Helga let out a relieved breath.

"In any case... Hey, who did you take to prom?" Helga asked. Arnold squinted his eyes a bit.

"Uh...oh, that's right. No one." Helga blinked.

"NO one? Why not?" Arnold shrugged.

"What can I say? You went with...Stinky, right?" Helga groaned and nodded. "How did THAT happen?"

"I don't know," Helga replied, shaking her head. "He heard I didn't have a date about three days ago, so he offered to take me. I figured it was a free ticket in, if anything. Plus, Stinky's not all that bad. He's somewhat entertaining. I had fun...I think...I mean, from what I can REMEMBER..." Arnold laughed.

"I know what you mean. Did Phoebe go with anyone?" Helga shook her head.

"Nope, but she's with hair-boy right now."

"Gerald?"

"Yup."

"...Oh that's right, Rhonda told you."

"Who'd he go with?"

"Uh...some girl I don't know. I don't know what happened to her. I mean, she obviously isn't HERE."

"Yeah well," Helga chuckled. "This was a 'P.S. 118 Only' party." Arnold nodded.

"Oh yeah..."

"Well," Helga said, standing up and gathering her ruined dress in her arms, "I'm gonna head downstairs. Come down in a few, k? Unless you want people to start talking about us." Arnold nodded, a slightly put out look on his face.

"Sure. I'll see ya later, ok?"

"Not if I can help it," Helga replied, smirking. She headed out the door before he could say anything.

& & & &

Less than two days later, Helga stood in her own bedroom, staring forlornly at herself in the mirror. She had debated on actually waiting for her period to come, but for once it seemed TOO far way. So instead she had gone out and bought a pregnancy test, without telling Arnold, of course. Now, as she stared down at it, she was terribly depressed, but for all the wrong reasons.

It came out negative.

She wasn't pregnant.

So why wasn't she happy?

It didn't take long to figure out the answer. She had WANTED to have Arnold's baby. He would have stayed with her, he even SAID so! She could have had a family with him. Granted, they wouldn't have been a very HAPPY family, but they would have been bound together in a sense. Now though, they could each go their own, separate ways.

Unless...

Helga glanced up sharply, staring at her reflection again as a plan began to form in her head. Arnold would never know she WASN'T pregnant unless she told him so. Well in THAT case, she would just have to tell him that she WAS pregnant.

Helga smirked. It would take a while before it got to the point where she couldn't fake it anymore, and by then...why, by then Arnold might even love her back! Helga had never really gotten over that childhood crush of hers; it had only grown as the years progressed. Now was her chance to make the feeling mutual.

Oh yes, the day was certainly looking better.

& & & &

Three weeks after that (and about two weeks after they had graduated), Helga was standing uncertainly on the sidewalk in font of the boarding house where Arnold was still living. She'd been having some internal moral debates over whether she should actually go through with this. The way she figured it, she had two choices:

Ruin Arnold's life by making him forgo his college plans...

Or ruin her own life, by letting him off the hook and probably never seeing him again.

So, ruin Arnold's life...or ruin her own life...Arnold's life...HER life...

There wasn't much competition, unfortunately. And though the more sensible side of her kept repeating over and over again how utterly WRONG this was, she completely ignored it.

With that decision in mind, Helga stepped up the stairs and knocked somewhat timidly on the door. She stepped to the side while she waited for someone to answer, out of the way of the barrage of animals that she knew would run past. The door opened and Helga briefly saw Arnold calling over his shoulder to his grandparents (yes, they were still alive. According to Grandpa though, he only had a year left, as he would supposedly die of the "family curse" when he turned 91).

"I'm going out Grandpa! I'll be back for dinner!"

"Okay, short-man!" came the reply as Arnold shut the door.

"You're early, Gerald," Arnold got out before he finally glanced up to see who was actually standing on his porch. "Helga?" Helga smirked.

"I didn't know Geraldo and I had so much in common," she said, somewhat teasingly. She was planning on actually being a little nice to him. Arnold scratched his head sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout that. It's just that I was supposed to meet him..." He trailed off, his eyes running up and down Helga's form. She was dressed in a short, jean skirt with a form-fitting black tank top. Over that she had on a matching jean jacket. She was wearing black platforms that added about two inches to her height, though she was still a little shorter than the boy staring at her, and her hair fell in natural cascades to just below her shoulders. "You look nice, special occasion?" he teased, though his eyes had taken on a worried look. Helga bit down a smile. Oh yes, he knew why she was there.

"Depends on your point-of-view," she said quietly, not smiling at all. Arnold's grin dimmed, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the doorknob, which he was still holding. 'Ok, Helga, this is it. Let's see how good an actress you REALLY are,' she thought as she lifted her eyes to meet Arnold's. "Do you think finding out you're going to be a father is a special occasion?" Arnold paled, and he backed up a step. He probably would have backed up further, but the door behind him wouldn't allow him to do so.

"Shit..." he muttered, looking everywhere but at Helga, and blinking rapidly. It was easy to tell that a million things were running through his head. Well, actually only one continuously repeated word was running through his head... 'Shit, shit, shit, shit...' Arnold thought in despair. "I...I need to lay down," he moaned out.

"Wonderful, I'll go with you!" Helga said, faking cheerfulness. It didn't help.

"Ugh, not now, Helga, please." Arnold stumbled over to the stairs and sat down heavily, holding his head in his hands. Helga watched him worriedly, wondering if this was really such a good idea. Silently she walked over to him and sat down.

"Hey," she said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder, "if we can get through saving the neighborhood together, we can get through everything together, right?" Arnold just sighed heavily in response. Helga sat silently for a minute, rubbing his back as he continued to think.

"Well...there goes college," he said eventually, lifting his head and looking out over the street. Helga's heart clenched, but she held firm in the decision she'd made.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He blinked suddenly, turning to face her.

"I'm such a jack-ass," he said quickly, eyes full of concern. "I didn't even think about how you were dealing with this. Are you ok?" Helga sniffed, her eyes actually welling with tears. What was she doing? Was she REALLY going to trick him like this!

Yep.

"I'm fine," she replied shakily. "Arnold, really, you don't have to stay. You can still go to college. I...we'll be here when you graduate." She almost wanted him to go, so she could pretend she'd had a miscarriage or something. She couldn't believe she was actually going through with the plan. Arnold shook his head.

"No...no, it's half my fault. I'm staying. God, what will my grandparents say?" he moaned. Helga looked out at the street.

"You know, football-head, I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I mean, if it had to be anyone," she said quickly, before shrugging. "You're not the worst possible choice." Arnold smirked ruefully.

"Thanks...I think. You know, I'm still trying to figure out how you and I ended up together. It's kind of weird, especially since we haven't really talked in such a long time." Helga shrugged.

"Maybe it was fate?" she suggested, chuckling a little.

"Yeah...maybe," Arnold said softly, looking thoughtful. Before either one of them could speak again, Gerald came waltzing down the sidewalk towards Arnold's house.

"Hey Arnold!" he called out. "You ready to- Helga!" He paused at the bottom of the steps, noticing how close the two were to each other. "Well how are you doing, Ms. Helga G. Pataki?" Helga smirked.

"Just fine, Geraldo, you?" she asked.

"Peachy keen!" came the reply, before he scratched his head. "I haven't talked to you in a while."

"We just had a drinking competition against each other three weeks ago," Helga pointed out. Gerald blinked.

"We did? I don't remember..."

"Yeah well, me neither," Helga said, laughing a bit. "That's what Rhonda told me."

"Oh! After prom! Ok, I see. Um...Arnold, can I speak with you for a minute?" Gerald asked before leading the said boy away without waiting for an answer.

"What is it Gerald?" Arnold asked.

"Why exactly are you hanging out with HELGA? Not that it matters anymore, I'm just curious." To his surprise, Arnold blushed a little.

"I'll tell you later," he mumbled, casting a glance back towards the other blonde. She was watching them expectantly. Gerald shrugged.

"Whatever, man. Just promise me that we'll have a looooong talk before we each head off to college, ok?" Arnold sighed.

"I don't think I'm GOING to college anymore, Gerald." There was a pause.

"What?" Gerald asked, as if he hadn't heard him correctly.

"Again, I'll tell you later." Gerald just stared at him for a minute before turning to face Helga as well.

"Well, since you're here, how about we find Phoebe or something and go grab a burger?" Helga chuckled.

"Sounds good to me, hair-boy," she said, standing up. Gerald glared at her playfully.

"Madam fortress mummy," he said teasingly.

"That's Harold's line, bucko, come up with your own," Helga said, pointing at him. Gerald laughed and led the way down the street.

& & & &

The three had found Phoebe at her house, already packing for college. After convincing her that she had PLENTY of time before she left, the four headed off to a local burger joint. As they sat around the table together, both Phoebe and Gerald vaguely noticed that they were the only two making conversation. There seemed to a tense silence surrounding their other two friends. After a full minute's pause in the conversation that neither Arnold nor Helga seemed to notice, Phoebe glanced to the side, catching Gerald's gaze. She gestured with her head to the two blondes who were sitting next to each other on the opposite side of the booth, and sent Gerald a questioning look. In return, he shrugged. He turned to stare at Arnold for a long minute, before finally breaking the silence.

"Aren't you going to eat all that, man? You've barely touched your burger." Arnold glanced up sharply.

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm not really hungry. You want it, Gerald?" Gerald raised an eyebrow, but nodded eagerly.

"Well, we can't let good food go to waste, now can we?" he asked cheerfully before digging into the uneaten food. Helga pushed her plate towards him as well.

"Here, hair-boy, you can have mine as well."

"No, Helga, you need to eat it," Arnold said, pushing the plate back to her. Helga stared at him oddly.

"I said I'm not hungry, football-head. I don't think I stuttered."

"And I don't think I did either. You need to eat it," he replied firmly. "You need it for...energy," he went on, carefully skirting around the real reason. Helga glared at him a little longer before releasing a sigh.

"Fine," she muttered. She picked up a fry, and nibbled on the end, but that seemed to satisfy the blonde beside her. Gerald and Phoebe watched this whole seen with interest.

"Ok, that's it," Gerald said, putting down his burger. He crossed his arms and sent the two a hard look. "Spill it." They both stared back at him in wide-eyed innocence.

"Spill what?" Arnold asked.

"Come on you two, we're your best friends!" Phoebe finally said. "Tell us what's going on, please..." Beneath the table, Arnold's hand sought out Helga's. He gave it a squeeze, causing her to glance at him before returning it. Arnold took that as her permission to tell their friends what exactly was going on.

"Um...well you see...Helga and I...we, well we're...we're getting married," he finally got out. The effect was immediate. Gerald, who'd been sipping thoughtfully on his coke, promptly choked on it and started sputtering. Phoebe dropped her burger back onto the plate, her eyes wide, and even Helga whipped her head around to stare at him in shock. Arnold blushed. "That WASN'T what I meant to say..." he muttered, releasing Helga's hand and using it to rub his eyes wearily.

"Getting MARRIED!" Gerald practically shouted when he was finally able to speak again.

"Yeah, Arnold, what's this about us getting MARRIED?" Helga asked, though not unkindly. Arnold glanced at her.

"I didn't mean to say that, but I think we should," he said. Helga blinked.

"WHY?" she asked, disbelievingly. Arnold shrugged.

"Just...because. I mean, it would only be right." Helga's heart fluttered slightly, but she kept her cool.

"Arnold, getting married isn't going to fix anything," she said softly.

"But it would help!" he replied, turning to face her fully. "Helga, I know what it's like to be an orphan. No child of MINE is going to grow up without BOTH of its parents." That did it.

"CHILD!" both Phoebe and Gerald sputtered out. Phoebe stood up abruptly and slammed her hands onto the table.

"Helga, Arnold, just WHAT is going on here!" she asked frantically, eyeing the two. Helga mentally cringed.

"Pheebs...I'm pregnant," she whispered. Phoebe's eyes widened, and she made a disbelieving sound.

"Pregnant?" she repeated vaguely, falling back into her seat. "Pregnant..."

"How the hell did THAT happen!" Gerald questioned angrily. "And why didn't you tell me?" That was directed at Arnold.

"I just found out today, Gerald," Arnold replied, narrowing his eyes. "And it happened at Rhonda's."

"After prom?" Phoebe asked meekly. The two in question nodded. "Maybe...maybe we should take this outside," Phoebe said suddenly, noticing that they were attracting some nosy eavesdroppers. The four stood up, and after paying for their meal, headed outside and down to the park.

"Pregnant..." Gerald muttered when they were well into the park. He turned around so that he was walking backwards, and smiled widely at Arnold. "Crap, man, you're gonna be a dad!"

"Gerald!" Phoebe admonished, as Arnold slowed down a bit, his eyes wide. Gerald held up his hands.

"What? You'd think he would have figured that part out..."

"Yeah, well, it just hit me," Arnold said breathlessly. "A dad...whoa...I don't know how to be a DAD! I've never even had one!"

"Stop panicking," Helga told him, grabbing his hand as they continued walking. "You'll be a great father."

"You're grandfather was a wonderful fatherly figure," Phoebe pointed out quietly.

"Have you told them yet?" Gerald asked, crossing his arms behind his head as he continued to walk backwards.

"No, you two were the first we told," Arnold replied, stuffing one of his hands into the pocket of his jeans. The other was still holding Helga's.

"And the last," Helga said, rubbing the back of her neck. Arnold slowed to a stop, pulling Helga with him since they were holding hands.

"Why?" he asked, searching her eyes for an answer. Gerald and Phoebe stood awkwardly off to the side, glancing at one another.

"Arnold," Helga sighed, "I don't want my parents to find out. And it probably wouldn't do any good if YOUR grandparents found out, either."

"But I have to have a reason for not going to college." Helga shrugged.

"I...I guess you could tell them. It's up to you." Arnold nodded.

"And I think you should tell your parents too." Helga's head snapped up.

"Hell no! My parents will NOT be finding out until I can bring the baby home for them to see," she said firmly, shaking her head vehemently. Arnold sighed.

"I'll only agree to that if you agree to marry me." Helga blinked. He REALLY didn't need to bribe her to get her to marry him; she would have done it in a split second.

"Fine," she bit out, trying to sound a little angry at the idea. She released Arnold's hand and crossed her arms, turning to the side slightly. To his surprise, Arnold felt very relieved...and somewhat happy.

"Great," he said, smiling widely. "Let's do it now. We can elope! Gerald and Phoebe can be our witnesses!" Helga snapped her head back to look at him.

"NOW?" she asked. Arnold nodded excitedly.

"Yes, now. We don't have to tell anyone, and you can stay with me at the boarding house. C'mon, Helga! Let's do it!"

"Arnold, marriage isn't something that you just DO," Phoebe said gently, stepping up to the pair.

"Yeah, honestly, football-head, where'd your common sense go?" Arnold shook his head.

"If we don't do it now, I won't have the courage to do it later. Helga, we're going to be raising a baby together, we might as well go all the way." Helga didn't think she could have felt any lighter at that moment, and she couldn't help the crazy, lovesick smile that spread across her face.

"Alright then," she said. "But only if you promise me that one day we'll have a real wedding. In a few years or something, after I get used to the whole idea of us being stuck together for the rest of lives."

"Deal," Arnold replied, grabbing Helga's hand and shaking it. "Depending on whether you have a boy a girl, it could probably be the ring barer or a flower girl or something." Helga half closed her eyes, smiling lazily.

"Yeah," she sighed, rubbing a hand across her stomach. Arnold wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they started off down the path again, when it slammed back into Helga. She wasn't HAVING a baby. Her smile faltered a bit. Damn...

"A father and a husband in the same day," Gerald muttered, shaking his head as they walked along. "You're a bold kid, Arnold, a bold kid."

& & & &

When Arnold brought Helga, his new wife, home with him that evening, his grandparents and the rest of the boarders were a little shocked, needless to say. Helga had a suitcase with her with most of her personal items and some clothes, and couldn't wipe the smile off of her face for the life of her. It was almost too much for her. She had dreamed of this day since she was three years old.

She was married, to ARNOLD.

It was crazy.

It was insane.

It was perfect. Helga had never been any happier.

Arnold briefly explained to his grandparents that Helga would be staying with him for a while. He didn't say anything about a baby coming or her being his wife all of a sudden. They thankfully didn't ask many questions. They just simply said, "Well, your 18 and on your way to college, you must know what your doing..." He'd cringed a bit at the college part, but hadn't said anything. He'd cross that bridge at a later time. It wasn't until they were settled in Arnold's room that the first bit of awkwardness came about.

"Are you sure your parents won't care that you're here?" Arnold asked, straddling the chair in front of his computer as he faced Helga. She shrugged.

"They won't notice I'm gone, trust me."

"Even when you're not there for dinner?"

"Arnold, we haven't had a family dinner since I entered high school," Helga said, almost glumly, as she sat down on Arnold's bed (it'd been changed to a queen size bed as he got older). She wasn't very fond of her family, but it always hurt a little that they still never seemed to care. Arnold got up and walked over to the bed. He sat down next to her, carefully pulling her into his lap.

"I'm sorry," he said gently, resting his chin in the crook of Helga's neck. She was suddenly afraid that her heart would burst from her chest, it was beating so rapidly. She gradually leaned back into him, relaxing a bit. Arnold tightened his grip around her waist as Helga turned her face slightly to look at his face. It got very quiet. "It's been a long day," Arnold said after a minute. "We should probably get some sleep. Especially you, Ms. Soon-to-be-mom." He smiled teasingly.

"Well then same to you, Mr. Soon-to-be-dad," Helga shot right back at him.

"Touché," Arnold replied, smirking lightly. He stared at her a moment before speaking again. "You're beautiful, Helga," he whispered, looking into her eyes. A slight blush graced Helga's cheeks as he continued. "I never really took the time to notice before."

"Yeah well," Helga turned her head forward again, "I never gave you reason to look at me."

"It didn't stop other people," Arnold said, pushing some hair behind her ears.

"Oh really?" Helga said, raising an eyebrow. Arnold nodded.

"I remember Sid saying once how you'd grown up to be a 'hottie.' And then Stinky agreed, saying you'd turned out 'downright purdy,'" he said, doing a bad imitation of Stinky. Helga grinned.

"And you said...?"

"I think I just got up to throw away my lunch tray," Arnold admitted sheepishly, but Helga just laughed.

"Oh, I deserved that," she said. Arnold kissed her cheek suddenly, and she quieted a bit.

"Come on, let's go to bed," Arnold said gently. Helga nodded.

"Am I sleeping on the couch?" she asked, standing up and stretching.

"No," Arnold replied, glancing at her. "We're both sleeping in the bed." Helga froze and looked at him. He smiled gently. "No wife of mine is sleeping on a couch." Helga chuckled.

Hours into the night, Helga still lay awake, staring at the handsome man next to her.

"Wife," she mumbled quietly to herself, being careful not to wake him. She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "God, what am I going to do?"

* * *

Part 2's next.

-Maxine


	2. Part 2

Deceit, Treachery, and Lies - Part 2

* * *

It took a while, but Arnold and Helga gradually got more and more comfortable around each other. Helga even began to forget that she wasn't really pregnant since she was so wrapped up in the whole idea of it. Arnold had finally broke it to his grandparents that he wasn't going to college anymore, but he told them it was because he'd had a change of heart. And in a sense, he had. Each day he became less and less annoyed that he was waking up a husband. He no longer cared that he couldn't date anymore, and he could barely even remember ever wanting to go to college. His first big shocker was when he woke up one morning with his arms wrapped tightly around Helga, and it just felt...right. Anytime it had happened before, the two would break apart abruptly, blushing and muttering about 'getting ready for the day' and 'needing to use the restroom' and such.

That one morning though, Helga was still sleeping. A small smile graced her face as she dozed peacefully, and Arnold could only stare down at her in wonder. How had he gotten so lucky? Weren't these types of things supposed to ruin your life? The two were pretty well off, too. Arnold had gotten a job for a local newspaper, plus they were still living in the boarding house for now. Helga had tried to get a job too, but Arnold promptly refused, saying she needed to rest in the upcoming months.

Arnold smiled and brushed some hair back from Helga's face, planting a kiss on her forehead. That was the most they had done in the month and a half that they'd been married; a small kiss on the forehead here, a hug there, none of the activities that most newly weds participated in, but they were content all the same.

Helga yawned slightly, her eyelids fluttering as she began to awake. She rubbed her palm across her eyes before finally opening them fully. She was greeted with the sight of Arnold looking down at her, smiling.

"Morning, sunshine," he said, his smile widening. Helga grinned. She still wasn't used to waking up next to him everyday. Or wrapped up in his arms either, for that matter.

"Hey," she greeted softly. She glanced over at the clock, and sat up quickly. "Arnold, you're gonna be late for work if you don't get up." Arnold shrugged.

"I was too comfortable," he replied, pulling Helga back down into the bed. His arms quickly found their place around her waist again, but this time he rested his hands on her lower stomach. Helga's heart nearly skipped a beat. "Do you think it's a boy or girl?" he mused quietly. "I hate calling the baby and 'it.'" Helga frowned, placing a hand over his.

"Dunno," she replied. They had these types of conversations every so often, and it was at these times that Helga hated their marriage. She felt like they were living a lie, which WAS true. She knew she loved Arnold, as she always had, and while he seemed to be getting used to having her around, Helga knew it was only because he was taking up the responsibility of being a father. In any other situation, he wouldn't have married Helga. He'd married her because he'd felt he'd HAD to, and Helga hated that. That, and then there was the fact that one of these days, she was going to have to tell him that there WAS no baby. And then what? "Come on," she said, patting his hand. "We need to get up." Arnold sighed, but released her.

"So what're you going to do today?" he asked, pulling a shirt out of his closet. Helga shrugged.

"Phoebe and I are going shopping for baby clothes. We aren't going to buy anything yet, though. I don't know if we could afford it, plus I figured we should wait until we know the gender of the baby." Arnold nodded.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." He disappeared down the stairs and into the bathroom while Helga got herself ready for a day at the mall. A few minutes later, he came back up to grab his wallet. "I'm going," he said, leaning down and giving Helga, who was sitting in front of his computer and staring at the screen, a kiss on the cheek. He was almost out the door when Helga stood up and called out to him.

"Arnold!" she said, almost nervously. He turned around in the doorway and sent her a questioning look as she approached him. She didn't look at him as she tightened his tie and smoothed out any wrinkles in his shirt, feeling very much like the wife she was playing. She paused suddenly, resting her hands on his chest and sighing. Then, reaching up to cup his face, she pulled him down to her, kissing him passionately for the first time (that she could remember) in years.

It took a second for him to respond, but he did willingly, wrapping his arms around her waist. Finally, almost a full minute later, Helga broke off the kiss.

"Well," she said breathlessly. "I'll see you tonight, football-head!" Arnold smirked at her.

"Tonight," he replied, and turned and headed down the stairs. Helga stared after him for a second, before turning to look around his room. It hadn't changed much since the fourth grade, and Helga suddenly felt claustrophobic. She almost longed to back at her house, walking in spacious rooms that weren't surrounded by other boarders, in her own bed-

No. She had brought this on herself. This was what she WANTED.

...Right?

"I have GOT to get out of here," Helga mumbled, before she grabbed her purse and practically fled out the door.

She met Phoebe at her house, where the petite Asian girl was already waiting on her steps.

"Greetings, Helga!" she called out cheerfully, giving the taller girl a brief hug.

"Hey, Pheebs," Helga said in reply. She smiled at the other girl. "God, it feels good to get out."

"What? I thought you'd be glad that you finally got 'Ice Cream,'" Phoebe said teasingly as the two girls set off towards a shopping center.

"Oh, I am, trust me. It's like a dream come true...which is why I'm worried."

"Well what for, Helga?" Phoebe asked glancing at the girl.

"I'm afraid that one of these days...I'm going to wake up," Helga admitted. 'That, or it'll turn into a nightmare,' she added in her mind. Phoebe smiled.

"Well, I can assure you, Helga, this isn't a dream. You're living reality." Helga sighed and rubbed her arms.

'Yeah,' she thought silently, 'and reality's gonna come back and bight me in the ass...'

Hours later, after the girls had eaten lunch, reality made the first of its attacks. Helga had never been one for pre-menstrual cramps, so she was briefly surprised when she saw the bloodstains on her underwear when the two took a bathroom break. Completely forgetting that pregnant women didn't GET their period, she made one HUGE mistake.

"So Helga, have you and Arnold thought of any names for the baby yet?" Phoebe asked from the sink where she was washing her hands.

"Um...no, we haven't really...talked about it," Helga replied vaguely, only half-listening as she searched through her purse for a tampon. "Hey Pheebs? You wouldn't happen to have a tampon with you, would ya?" she called through the stall. As this wasn't an uncommon conversation for women to be having, Phoebe thought nothing of it at first.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure I do," she replied, digging through her own purse until she found one. "Ah, here you go," she said, sliding it under the stall door. Helga let out a relieved breath.

"Phew, thanks, Phoebe, you're a lifesaver."

"Always have one handy!" Phoebe replied cheerfully. It wasn't until she heard the flush of the toilet and saw Helga coming out of the stall that it hit her.

Pregnant women didn't hit THAT time of the month.

Phoebe paled, watching Helga closely as she washed her hands.

"Helga?" Phoebe asked nervously as the said girl started to leave the bathroom.

"Yeah, Pheebs?" Helga replied, glancing back and smiling at her friend. She paused as she noticed how anxious Phoebe looked. Phoebe walked over to where Helga was standing and pushed the door closed again, flipping the lock so that no one else could come in. "Phoebe, what's wro-"

"Helga, could you tell me WHY you needed a tampon?" the petite girl cut in quickly, crossing her arms and staring up at her blonde friend. Helga mirrored the stance, raising an eyebrow.

"Why do you think, Phoebe? I-" Helga cut herself off, suddenly realizing exactly what she'd done wrong. "Oooh..." she said, dropping her arms to her sides. "Shit... Uh...eh-heh, well, Phoebe, you see, um..." she trailed off, laughing nervously.

"How could you?" Phoebe whispered vehemently, narrowing her eyes. "Helga, of all the low-down, dirty, ROTTEN things...I can't believe you! Did you LIE to him! To all of us? You were NEVER pregnant, were you! Helga Geraldine Pataki, pregnancy and marriage are NOT something that you can just play around with! You know that!" By this point Helga had lowered her eyes to the ground and was hugging herself slightly.

"Phoebe...Phoebe I-I don't know why...I just...I don't know! I don't know why I did it! At the time I thought maybe I could get away with it, but...but I don't know what to do now! I didn't mean for it to go this far, honest. I mean, I did WANT it to go this far, but I didn't think it would happen! Phoebe, when I told him I was pregnant that morning, I had NO IDEA that we'd be married by that afternoon! And then everything happened so fast and- DAMN IT! I'm sorry!" Helga cried, nearly bursting out into tears. "I've tried to tell him, but every time I start to, I remember everything that he gave up for me and then I feel horrible and I can't go through with it! I just...I can't," she said brokenly, falling to her knees on the bathroom floor. Phoebe looked down at her, but didn't offer any comfort.

"Helga...you know, I can't help you with this. I really don't have any words of wisdom for something of this extremity. I just...I can't believe you would do that! To ARNOLD! Helga, you've completely wrecked any future that he might have been planning, and it's too late NOW for him to decide to go back to college. You screwed up big time with this one. I don't know what to tell you." Phoebe paused for a second, unlocking the door. "I'm hurt, Helga. To think that you lied to me, to HIM, it's just...I can't even put it in words. I thought we were friends, and then you go and pull a stupid stunt like this! You're messing with peoples' LIVES! This isn't fourth grade anymore!"

"Phoebe, I am SO sorry," Helga whispered, not able to look the girl in the eyes.

"Don't tell me, you need to tell him," Phoebe replied, opening the door. She closed it again, only a second later. "You know...I'm leaving the day after tomorrow," she said quietly. "I would prefer if...if maybe you DIDN'T come over to say goodbye. Maybe when Thanksgiving break comes, I'll be able to talk to you, but..." She sighed. "Just...you need to tell him, Helga, and sooner than later." She opened the door again, glancing back at the blonde on the ground. "I'll see you in a few months, Helga." And with that, Phoebe walked out of the bathroom, leaving Helga sitting on the floor.

Helga didn't leave the bathroom for a long time after that. She sat in one of the stalls, her feet propped up against the door, trying over and over again to think up a plan, but nothing would come to her. When she finally left the mall, it was well into the afternoon. The temperature had dropped a little, and Helga could see her shadow stretched far out in front of her as she made her way home. To HER home. It was about time she faced her parents.

"Mom, dad? I'm home!" Helga called out as she entered the house. She could hear the T.V. vaguely, but she didn't hear her dad yelling at it. "Bob? Miriam? Hello? Is anybody home!"

"Helga, honey, is that you?" her mom said in that slurred voice of hers, stumbling into the hallway. "How was your day at school?" Helga frowned.

"It's the beginning of AUGUST, Miriam. I graduated from high school almost two months ago," she said flatly.

"Oh...oh that's right. I knew that," Miriam replied, blinking rapidly.

"You didn't graduate," a new voice said, as Big Bob entered the hallway, chewing on a chicken leg. "You're only sixteen, you're too young to graduate." Helga's frown deepened.

"I'm eighteen, BOB."

"Eighteen? Olga, you're not eighteen!" Helga sighed agitatedly.

"It's HELGA, Bob, and yes, I AM eighteen."

"Well in that case, shouldn't you be at college?"

"No dad, I'm-" Helga paused, rethinking something over in her head. "I mean, yes, I AM going to college. That's why I'm here, to pack my stuff!" Bob grunted, heading into the living room to watch his wrestling show.

"That's great, Olga. Mail us your grades or something. No! No, hit him with the left! Oh, come on!" he finished, yelling at the T.V. Helga's fists clenched at her side.

"It's HEL- oh, forget it," she mumbled, turning around to leave.

"Have a good year, honey," Miriam called after her. "Write to us!"

"Yeah right," Helga muttered after she'd closed the door behind her. She hugged herself, staring out at the streets as the lamplights started turning on. She suddenly felt very, very alone. Before, she'd always known that at least Phoebe would be there for her, but at the moment Phoebe was so mad with her that she couldn't see straight. Not that Helga could blame her. "I wonder if my HUSBAND would be worried if I came home late," she said sarcastically. "I don't deserve him..." Slowly she trudged off down the streets, keeping her head low.

"Hey look, it's Helga!" she heard a low, southern drawl exclaim from somewhere to the side of her. She paused, glancing up.

"Helga, wait up!" This time it was Sid yelling at her, as he, Stinky, and Harold crossed the street quickly to catch up with her.

"Where ya going, Helga? Your house is that way," Harold pointed out, walking alongside the blonde.

"How very observant of you," Helga muttered. "I'm going to Arnold's," she continued, carefully hiding her left hand so that none of them would see the simple, gold band on her wedding finger. She and Arnold hadn't told any of their friends about their...situation.

"Arnold's?" Stinky asked, scratching his head. "Watcha goin' to Arnold's fer?"

"Because I FEEL like it, what's it to ya?" Helga ground out, glaring at the tall boy that had been her prom date.

"Gosh, I was jus' askin'." Helga sighed.

"Sorry, Stinky, I'm just a little stressed out right now."

"Hey Helga, did you hear that Arnold decided not to go to college?" Sid asked from behind her. Helga cringed slightly. "He won't tell us why."

"Maybe he just decided to change his plans," Helga suggested lamely. Sid shrugged.

"Whatever. I think he's crazy. I'm leaving this hellhole next week. That's the earliest I can."

"Hey! I have to stay in this place you're calling a hellhole, you know!" Harold complained, crossing his arms. He hadn't really been accepted at too many colleges, so he'd opted to keep his job with Mr. Green.

"Yeah, Sid, me too!" Stinky added, glowering at the shorter boy. "My pa needs my help." Helga cast her eyes downwards.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said quietly, as they finally arrived at Arnold's stoop. Glancing up at it, she could have sworn she saw a bunch of little fourth graders all huddled around, listening to one of their friends tell an old urban legend. Tears pricked her eyes as the vision faded away, and she vaguely noticed that the other three behind her had paused.

"I thought you were heading off to college, Helga," Sid said, sitting on the brick siding of the stairs.

"I was," Helga replied, glancing skywards. "But due to certain circumstances, my plans changed." The three boys blinked.

"Certain...circumstances?" Harold asked, leaning against the wall. He smirked. "Gee, Helga, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were in some sort of trouble. You didn't get yourself knocked up or something, did ya?" he said tauntingly. His smirk immediately fell when Helga didn't retort with a nasty comeback. His, Sid's, and Stinky's eyes widened considerably.

"Helga-" Stinky started to question, but Helga cut him off.

"No, I'm not pregnant," she said, almost sharply. She turned slightly, to glance at them. "Things changed, that's all." She looked up towards Arnold's room, and then back to Sid.

"I'll try to come by before you leave, Sid. I'll see the rest of you around sometime I'm sure, unfortunately," she muttered, smirking a bit. The boys relaxed immensely at this small sign that she was back to normal.

"Later, Helga!" Sid called after her, as she closed the door behind her. She sighed heavily, leaning against it for a minute before she headed upstairs. Exhausted by the day's events, she flopped onto the bed, and promptly fell into a light sleep. That was how Arnold found her about an hour later when he came home.

"I told her she needed to relax more," Arnold sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. He rested his hands on her shoulders, massaging them slightly. "Helga," he whispered, continuing on when she groaned a little. "Get up honey, you need to eat." It didn't escape him that he'd called her "honey." He seemed to be doing that more and more lately, not that he was bothered by it. He was slowly beginning to like the idea of spending the rest of his life with Helga. He'd long ago accepted the fact.

"Arnold?" Helga asked wearily, turning on her side so that she could see him.

"Long day?" he asked, smiling at her.

"You have NO idea," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. "Did you say something about food?" she asked sheepishly. Arnold grinned.

"Yep," he replied, sweeping her off the bed and carrying her to the door. Helga shrieked slightly before laughing, punching him playfully on the shoulder.

"I can walk on my own, you know," she grumbled out indignantly, though she was smiling. Arnold returned the smile.

"My family needs their rest," he replied, shifting her in his arms and spreading a hand over her stomach. He seemed to be awed by the fact, even now, that something he had helped to create was growing in there. Helga's smile dimmed.

"Right," she said quietly, as he carried her down the stairs. "Your family..."

& & & &

About two and a half weeks later, Helga, who still hadn't found the courage to tell Arnold anything, awoke to find the other side of the bed empty. Briefly confused, she sat up quickly and glanced around. Realizing that it was already 10:30, she figured that Arnold was already at work. A thumping outside the door alerted her to the fact that someone was coming up the stairs in a hurry, and she glanced to the door as she waited for the person to come in.

"Helga, you awake yet?" Arnold called out as he burst through the door. Helga raised an eyebrow.

"Well if I wasn't, I would be now," she replied, grinning at him before it turned into a frown and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Shouldn't you be at work?" Arnold shook his head.

"Change of plans," he muttered, pulling out a suitcase from his closet. "Ernie's older brother had a stroke last night, so my grandparents, Mr. Huynh, and I are driving out with him to go see if he's ok. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but I got a week off from work, so it shouldn't be anymore than that." He paused for a second as he began pulling clothes out of his drawers and throwing them into the open suitcase. "We're leaving in an hour or so," he glanced up at Helga, "and you're staying with Gerald." Helga's eyes widened.

"Gerald! What for?" she cried, finally climbing out of the bed.

"The Kokashas are the only people staying here, but Mrs. Kokasha works all day, and I don't want to leave you here with Mr. Kokasha," Arnold explained.

"Look, Arnold, I can take of myself, you know," Helga ground out, crossing her arms as she glared at the blonde.

"Yeah I know," he said, almost breathlessly from all the running around, as he stood up. "But I would feel much better if I knew you were in good hands," he finished, kissing Helga briefly on the lips. "Please? For me?" He sent her a puppy-dog look, and Helga instantly melted.

"Fine," she grumbled, turning away and pulling out her own suitcase. "I'll stay with hair-boy. Shouldn't he be gone by now, though?" Arnold, done with his packing, sat in the chair by his computer as he watched Helga.

"Gerald's going to college in the city, remember? He has an apartment outside of campus, and he's already moved in because he wanted to get away from his folks or something. But his roommate won't be there for another two weeks."

"Oh, so I'll have my own room?" Helga asked, closing the suitcase and snapping the locks in place.

"Yep," Arnold replied, standing up. "Ready?"

"Well, I kind of need to change first, but other than that, yeah." Arnold paused, looking over Helga as she stood there, hair disheveled with her nightshirt all twisted around. He grinned.

"You look fine to me." Helga glared at him.

"Well if you like the idea of your wife going to your best friend's apartment in nothing but her pajamas, then by all means, I'm ready to go," she said, smirking at him. Arnold blinked.

"Actually, you know what, I think you have plenty of time to change." Helga smiled.

"That's what I thought," she said over her shoulder as she headed off to the bathroom.

Hours later, Helga was sprawled out on the couch in Gerald's small living room, idly flipping through the channels on T.V...all twelve of them.

"Gerald, are you aware that you don't have cable?" Helga asked, sighing agitatedly. Gerald was sitting sideways in an armchair beside the couch, his legs thrown over the side. He held up a book he'd been reading.

"Why do you think I have this?"

"This sucks," Helga muttered, clicking the T.V. off and laying down completely on the couch, an arm thrown over her eyes. "What am I supposed to do for a week? I can't believe he stuck me here with you, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself." Gerald cast the blonde girl a glance, before shutting the book and standing up to stretch.

"I'm just doing a friend a favor, I didn't ASK for you to be here," he mumbled, walking into the kitchen. Helga could hear him shuffling around before he spoke up again. "I'm askin' now, in case I have to go shopping or something. Are you hungry for any weird sorts of food? You know, grapes dipped in nacho cheese, chocolate covered pickles, macaroni and strawberry jelly...?" He trailed off, sticking his head out the door just in time to see the face that Helga made.

"Eww, what do you take me for, hair-boy? Yeesh, I don't think I'd EVER be able to eat whatever you just named, pregnant cravings or not." Gerald smirked.

"Juuuust wondering," he quipped. "In that case, we're having pizza for dinner. Sound good?"

"Sounds fine," Helga replied, eyeing Gerald as he came back out and sat in the chair again.

"Can I ask you something, Helga?" he asked after a minute. Helga stiffened for a second, afraid of what he might ask, before replying.

"You just did," she said sarcastically, picking up the remote control again. She didn't turn on the T.V. though. Gerald cast her an amused glance.

"Helga G. Pataki, that is one of the most overused idioms there are. I'd think that YOU could come up with something better than that." Helga grinned lightly.

"Yeah well, I didn't realize you were an expert on such things."

"...What does the 'G' stand for in your name?" Helga blinked.

"THAT was what you wanted to ask me?" she asked incredulously. Gerald shook his head.

"No no, just wondering." Helga frowned.

"You'll laugh if I tell you."

"I'll try not to."

"It's stands for Geraldine..." Helga glared at her fellow classmate as he snorted and started chuckling. "Well, you certainly didn't try very hard," she muttered.

"S-sorry," Gerald got out through his laughter. "That's kind of ironic though."

"Tell me about it."

"Anyway, what I wanted to ask was if you were upset about having to give up college?" Helga pursed her lips, glancing towards the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Hmm, well, I guess I WOULD be if it meant I had to stay at home with my parents," she finally replied. "I mean, half the reason I wanted to go to college in the first place was to get away from them," she said bitterly. Gerald frowned, before looking away.

"I know they haven't been the greatest parents for you, Helga, but all the same, they can't be THAT awful. I mean, they've come through for you in rough times. You know, saving Mighty Pete, the neighborhood, and then there was that whole deal in the sixth grade with your mom..." He trailed off there, not able to think of anything else, while Helga continued to look at him expectantly.

"That's true...but...once I hit high school, I guess they figured I could live on my own. I had to get my own meals, buy my own clothes. They gave me money, but that was about it," Helga said, sounding almost depressed. She closed her eyes briefly, before opening them again and staring straight ahead at nothing. "Did you know...I went back home, a couple of weeks ago...my mom...she asked me how my day at SCHOOL was," Helga said harshly, her eyes taking on a glossy appearance. "They didn't even realize I hadn't been living in the house for TWO. FUCKING. MONTHS. My dad doesn't even know my NAME. I refuse to tell them about Arnold and I, because that would just be one more disappointment to add to their list. One more reason why OOOOLGA is so much better than ME!" she choked out through a sob. She was taking deep breaths, as if to calm herself down, refusing to let any tears fall. "I hate them, Gerald," Helga whispered, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "I really do. And it hurts."

The room was silent for a few minutes, as Gerald took in all that Helga had said. He didn't make any comments, he just offered her silent comfort as she rubbed her eyes wearily. When she seemed to calm down completely, he spoke.

"Hungry?" Helga laughed shortly, looking at him. He smiled back at her.

"Yeah," she whispered, following him to the kitchen. She could only think of one thing as she stared at his back, and it was a slightly disturbing thought. 'Other than Phoebe and maybe Arnold, he's the only I've ever told about my feelings towards my parents... And unlike Arnold...he DIDN'T try to convince me to make up with them. He just let me be...'

& & & &

Four nights later, Helga was nearly on the verge of insanity.

"There is NOTHING to do around here!" she grumbled to herself, pacing the bedroom she was staying in. "Arnold doesn't want me outside alone because I supposedly 'don't know my way around this part of town,' Gerald doesn't have cable, I've already read five books since I got here... And here I am, TALKING to myself to pass the time! This. Is. Pathetic! Crimeny!" She threw herself onto to the bed and glanced at the clock. 5:30. "Gerald should be back from his job in a few minutes. Thank God," Helga grumbled. "Whoo, didn't think I'd ever be glad to see HIM."

Not a minute later, Helga heard the front door open and then slam shut. There were shuffling sounds coming from the hallway, and then she heard someone stomp over to her door.

"Bad day?" Helga asked from her position on the bed when Gerald appeared in the doorway. He smirked.

"You have NO idea," he muttered. Rubbing his forehead, he asked, "Does Chinese take-out sound ok tonight? I don't feel like cooking."

"Yeah sure, sounds great," Helga replied, sitting up. "I'll pay tonight."

"You have money?"

"Of course."

A little while later, several empty white boxes were scattered across the kitchen table where Helga was still sitting. At the moment, she really didn't feel like cleaning up their mess, and Gerald had disappeared somewhere.

"Want something to drink?" Oh wait, he was back. Helga glanced up at him as he walked back into the kitchen carrying a bottle of something in his hand. She looked closer at it, and her eyes widened when she realized what it was.

"Oh my God, alcohol! Thank the Lord!" she exclaimed, reaching across the table to grab the bottle of tequila. Gerald immediately yanked it out of her reach.

"Nuh-uh, this is NOT for you. Pregnant ladies aren't supposed to drink alcohol. That's the one sure thing I know about pregnancy. I was wondering if you wanted another coke or something..." He trailed off, chuckling at Helga's glowering look. Turning to a cabinet above the sink, he pulled out a shot glass and set it on the table. Then he got two cokes and put one next to it, while he waved the other one at Helga. "Want it?" She snatched it out of his hand with one hand, using the other to flick him off.

"You suck," she growled out, taking a huge gulp from the carbonated beverage. Gerald ignored her.

"I felt the need for a light buzz tonight," he commented idly, pouring himself a shot.

'Light buzz my ass,' Helga thought, grinning evilly as he downed the shot. "What's your record?" she asked innocently, as if trying to make conversation. Gerald shrugged.

"Dunno, I've never really kept count."

"I think I can last up to about seventeen, anymore than that and I really can't remember what's happened, so I don't know what I can really do."

"Seventeen!" Gerald sputtered, glancing at Helga doubtfully. "I don't believe it." Helga shrugged.

"It's true. What, don't think you can do it?"

"Naw, I can do it. Or I'll pass out trying anyway," he said playfully, downing another shot. He shook his head quickly, blinking twice. "Man, strong stuff," he mumbled. "Ok, here we go!" Helga just smiled as she watched him.

Nine shots later, Gerald was sporting that buzz that he had originally been aiming for. And Helga just kept goading him on.

"No no," he mumbled as Helga poured him another one. "Thas 'nough f'me," he slurred out. "I have work t'morrow."

"No you don't," Helga said cheerfully. "You tomorrow off." Gerald glared at her.

"Well, why aren't YOU drinkin'?" Helga smirked. Bingo.

"Ok, I will," she said, and drank down the one she'd already poured. Gerald nodded approvingly.

"Thas better," he said, and drank another one himself.

"Tell me about it," Helga mumbled, smirking as she continued to get herself drunk. This was just what she needed to get away from her troubles for the time being.

Or maybe not...

& & & &

The following morning, Helga awoke with a strange sense of déjà vu. She had a pounding headache and again, the lights seemed too bright.

'Oh great, did I get drunk again?' she asked herself in her head. She couldn't quite remember where she was. 'Probably slept with someone again, too,' she continued to think as more memories came back to her...mainly the ones about telling Arnold she was pregnant. Groaning slightly, she tried to get up, only to find that something was holding her down. Glancing down, Helga noticed there was a chocolate brown arm firmly latched around her waist. Helga paled. 'Oh no...' she thought as she followed the arm to a bare chest - 'No, no, no, no...' - and then up to the face of its owner. Her eyes widened. "FUCK!" she yelled, loud enough to wake her sleeping partner. "Damn it! Gerald, Gerald wake up!" she continued yelling, slapping his shoulder lightly, even though he was already staring up at her bewilderedly.

"Helga!" he exclaimed, sitting up quickly and snatching his arm back from her as if it was on fire. "What...what happened!" Helga vaguely noted how differently he handled this than how Arnold had, but that was the least of her worries.

"What do you think!" she yelled right back, not bothering to cover herself up. She crossed her arms and glared at him, but then winced as the pounding in her head came back full force. She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to say something, cutting him off. "No more yelling, please." Gerald frowned slightly.

"I'm all for that," he mumbled, holding a hand to his own forehead. An uncomfortable silence settled on the two for a few minutes while they each tried to collect their thoughts.

'Why does this always happen to me?' Helga thought despairingly. 'I just wanted to get a LITTLE drunk, not go and have sex again! Or...lose my virginity, might I say...' That thought scared her. As she and Arnold never had remembered exactly what had happened that night, she wasn't sure if they actually HAD slept together. And as she had mentioned to Arnold, she hadn't been sore the following morning. This time however, there was a distinct pain between her legs. Nothing too bad, but it made all the difference in the world. She glanced at Gerald sharply, just as he was glancing at her, and both quickly looked away.

"I canNOT believe that I just slept with my best friend's PREGNANT wife," Helga heard Gerald mumble.

"Gerald," Helga said shakily, waiting for him to look at her. "Here's the deal. We are just going to put this behind us. It NEVER. HAPPENED. Got that?" Gerald nodded quickly.

"Of course, of course... wait, what never happened?" he said, trying to sound at ease with the situation. Helga smirked.

"Exactly."

& & & &

Even if they'd promised to put it behind them, you can't exactly just FORGET something like that. So the remainder of Helga's stay with Gerald was spent mainly in tense silence. Helga even forced herself to watch what little there was on T.V. And when Arnold came by to pick her up two days later, she didn't think she'd EVER been so happy to see the boy.

That is, until she remembered that in no more than a month she would have to tell him the truth.

All things considered, life went on normally for most of that month. Then all of a sudden, reality decided to rear it's ugly head again, this time with a full-scale bombardment.

Helga had skipped her period...for REAL this time. More nervous than she had ever been in her life, she went to the nearest drugstore and spent another fifteen dollars on the supposedly most accurate pregnancy test on the market. And then one day when Arnold was working, nearly a week later, she finally worked up the courage to use the test.

To her absolute horror and dismay, it came out positive.

More nerve wrecked than before, she could only sob brokenly on the floor for a good hour. She figured her hair was turning gray by this point, and she wasn't even past twenty yet!

Deciding that her life was probably over as of now anyway, she figured damaging two more wouldn't do much harm. So she headed out the door and caught the nearest bus to Gerald's apartment.

At first, she thought she might have had the wrong apartment when a tall man with long brown hair held back in low ponytail answered the door. The man looked Helga over briefly before speaking.

"Well, you're too pretty to be here to see me," he said cheerfully, and then called over his shoulder for Gerald. Helga realized that this must have been his roommate. She smiled slightly at him and held out her hand.

"Name's Helga." He accepted her hand, and shook it with genuine friendliness.

"Brad."

"Nice to meet you, Brad," Helga said, pulling her hand back.

"Heh, pleasure's all mine." Helga had the decency to blush lightly before Gerald finally showed up.

"Who is it?" Helga heard him ask.

"Some chick name Helga," Brad answered, turning away from the door. "Later!" Helga didn't get the chance to answer because Gerald suddenly stepped into view.

"Helga?" he asked worriedly. "Is something wrong? Where's Arnold? You know he doesn't want you out alone. Especially when you're what, almost four months along?" he continued, smiling warmly. Helga frowned and rubbed her left arm nervously.

"Actually, Gerald, I'm barely even a month along," she said flatly, refusing to look him in the eye. She could tell by the tone of his voice though, that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Huh?" Helga sighed, looking up at Gerald with watery eyes. She berated herself silently, wondering when she'd begun to cry so freely.

"Gerald, I was never pregnant to Arnold, I lied to him," she told him bluntly. Gerald's eyes shot wide open.

"WHAT!" Helga began to wring her hands.

"Well...oh God, it sounds so stupid now. I can't believe I ever thought I could get away with it," she mumbled, growing hysterical. "I've been in love with him since pre-school, Gerald! After prom, it just seemed like the perfect chance to finally get him- oh, I don't know! It doesn't even make since to ME anymore!" she cried. "Phoebe already found out, and now she hates me...please, Gerald, I never thought I would say this, but I NEED you right now. Don't go running away on me..." Gerald eyed her with something that looked close to disgust, but gradually his eyes softened slightly. He grabbed her wrist.

"Come on," he mumbled, pulling her down the hallway.

"Wh-where're we going?" Helga asked, attempting to calm herself down.

"We're going to tell Arnold," Gerald replied shortly.

"What! B-but...now?"

"Yes, now. You need to tell him that you lied to him, Helga, and that you're pregnant now with-" At that he paused abruptly, slowing to a stop and staring dazedly at nothing in particular. "...pregnant with..." he mumbled, glancing with wide eyes towards Helga. "Is it..." he swallowed before speaking again, "is it mine?" Helga nodded slowly, and Gerald groaned, closing his eyes tightly.

"Fuck," he whispered. "He'll never forgive me..."

"I'm so sorry, Gerald..." Helga said, her voice just as low. He just yanked on her arm to get her walking again.

"Let's go," he muttered. Helga nodded, keeping her head down. To her surprise, Gerald took her back to the boarding house instead of to Arnold's office.

"Why are we here?"

"It would probably be better to tell him here, so he doesn't go ballistic on the job and get fired," Gerald answered darkly. Helga swallowed, sitting down on the bed in Arnold's - their - room.

"Right," she whispered. They sat in silence for a full two hours, waiting for Arnold to get back. When the blonde boy finally entered the room, he noticed right away that something was wrong.

"Gerald!" he exclaimed, smiling a little. "What're you doing here?" Gerald didn't answer, he just nodded his head towards Helga. Arnold turned towards her.

"Hey honey, what's wrong?" That finally broke the dam, and Helga burst into uncontrolled sobs of anguish. Instantly worried, Arnold rushed towards her and kneeled in front of her. "Helga, what happened? Is everything ok?" he asked quickly, resting his hands on her shoulders. Across the room, Gerald sunk lower into the computer chair, crossing his arms. Helga, desperately trying to quell her cries, tore herself out of Arnold's hands.

"Arnold, just...just stop!" she sobbed out, burying her face into her arms. Arnold stared at her, uncertain what to do.

"What'd I do?" he asked warily, glancing at Gerald, who only turned away.

"I'm not pregnant, Arnold!" Helga finally exclaimed, feeling strangely relieved to have that off of her chest. "Don't you get it? I LIED to you! I was never pregnant, I don't even know if we had sex in the first place," she continued miserably, lifting her tear-stained face to meet his wide eyes. She sniffed, her tears finally slowing. "I...I-"

"You're NOT pregnant?" Arnold broke in, his eyes searching her face for some sign that this was all a big joke. "Helga...what...I don't understand," he said finally, backing up a step.

"I'm sorry, Arnold," Helga said, hiccupping in the middle of her words. "I...I tricked you... At first I was hoping you would eventually learn to love me, and...and I could pretend to have a miscarriage or something...but then we eloped, and everything got so complicated... I am SO sorry..."

"Helga..." Arnold paused for a second, his eyes hardening. "How...how could you do that! You made me give up the one chance I had to actually do something with my life. I had PLANS Helga, and none of them involved you at first! But I cared enough to change them, and then you go and throw it in my face! I don't believe it!" Helga looked away.

"It's not even October yet, Arnold, you can still enroll at the college in the city...they would accept your application," she said softly. "I...I'm sure that in no time, you'll be back on track..."

"That's not the point, Helga," Arnold bit out harshly. Helga winced, but continued.

"And we can get a divorce easily. It's just a bunch of papers that need to be signed." She still wasn't looking at him, so she didn't see Arnold look at her painfully.

"I didn't say I wanted a divorce," he said quietly, looking at her seriously. She snapped her back to stare at him in shock, some hope filling her...before Gerald coughed suddenly, and she was slammed back onto earth.

"You will," she said, looking away again, "when I tell you the rest of it." Arnold's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The rest...?" Helga nodded, but Gerald started the story for her.

"When you were with Ernie a few weeks back," he began, staring at the ground, "I...we...well, I decided to have a couple shots one night, because I'd had a bad day at work..." He trailed off, glancing through the skylights above. "I didn't let Helga drink anything though, because I knew - or I THOUGHT - that she was pregnant." Helga picked up the story here.

"But I wanted to get drunk, to get away from my problems, if only for the night," she said miserably. "So I waited until he was buzzed before I got trashed myself." Here she finally looked up, meeting Arnold's knowing gaze. "We woke up the next morning in the same predicament that you and I were in."

"Only this time..." Arnold began, sighing and closing his eyes. Helga nodded.

"Only this time I actually AM pregnant," she whispered sullenly. She heard Gerald release a huge sigh from across the room and Arnold gulped. "I just found out today. Arnold...I don't think you and I did anything at all, actually. My guess is that we probably began too, but were too far gone to actually accomplish anything." Both Arnold and Gerald's eyes shot to her.

"What makes you say that?" Arnold asked. For some reason, he didn't seem too upset. Helga shrugged.

"Girls have a way of knowing, especially if it was their first time," she said simply. Arnold nodded, suddenly remembering when she had mentioned 'not being sore' or something. Gerald, on the other had, made a sound of disbelief.

"You mean you lost your virginity...to ME?" he asked, eyes wide. Helga smirked slightly, nodding.

"Ironic, eh?" Gerald only groaned and buried his face in his hands. "You...you don't seem very upset," Helga said to Arnold. "Are you ok?" Arnold shrugged, sitting down next to her, but a safe distance away, on the bed.

"I'm a little shocked...but I guess that all of this is really no one's fault. Well, other than you LYING to me, but that was only four months out of my life, no biggy." Helga stared at him disbelievingly.

"What do you mean, no one's fault?" she asked uncertainly. She'd certainly thought it was all her fault. Arnold smiled a little.

"Well...let's just say that we can learn one thing from this whole mess: Drinking...is BAD." Gerald snorted at that, and even Helga let a disbelieving chuckle escape her throat.

"Arnold, you are amazing," she said, scooting closer to him and leaning her head on her shoulder. "Even after all of this, you still manage to look on the bright side." Arnold shrugged.

"Well-"

"We know, we know," Helga cut in.

"Somebody has to," Gerald finished. All three glanced at each other and laughed a little. At least the tension in the room was finally dispersing.

"I think I'll do what you said, Helga," Arnold said, glancing down at the blonde on his shoulder. "Enroll at the college in town."

"And what about this?" she asked, holding up her left hand so that he could see the gold band on her finger. Arnold looked at the ring thoughtfully.

"We can deal with that later," he finally replied. Helga just sighed.

"Whatever, football-head," she mumbled affectionately. "I'm not staying here anymore though. I guess it's finally time to break the news to my parents."

"Yeah well, that whole situation is Gerald's problem now," Arnold said, glancing at the said boy. Gerald blinked. "You're gonna be a dad, Gerald!" he said excitedly, mimicking Gerald's words from all those months ago. Gerald swayed slightly in his seat.

"Ooooh...my dad's gonna KILL me..." Helga chuckled bitterly.

"You think YOUR parents will be mad..." she trailed off.

"I'll go with you when you tell them, if you want" Gerald offered, glancing off to the side. Helga smiled at him.

"I would really appreciate that, Geraldo." Gerald returned her smile.

"Gerald...would you stop staring at my wife like that?" Arnold spoke up. He had an amused light in his eye though, and it was easy to see that he was teasing them. Helga broke their gaze, blushing lightly.

"I'm glad you're not too upset, Arnold," she said, sitting up. "And I really AM sorry." Arnold waved her off.

"I'll get over it."

"I can't believe that after all this, I'm actually going to have a baby," Helga commented, searching around for her shoes. "I'm actually kind of excited. Maybe I'll be able to take some night courses or something, after it's born."

"Helga?" Gerald asked suddenly, somewhat warily. "I don't have to drop out of college...do I?" Helga blinked.

"Of course not, hair-boy! Geez, you'll be in town anyway. I'll call you if I ever need you or something." Gerald nodded, looking relieved. "Well boys, I best be off." She walked over and gave Arnold a quick peck on the cheek. "Gerald, you coming? I'm gonna tell my parents now, while I still have the courage to do so." Gerald nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Helga nodded and walked out the door.

"Later, Arnold! I'll come by sometime soon to get my stuff." Arnold nodded and waved at her as she left. He shook his head slightly. That was just like her, to get over something that quickly. She was strong, that was for sure.

"Arnold?" Arnold glanced up at his best fried, noticing that he looked a little worried.

"What is it?" Gerald sighed.

"Thanks for being so understanding, man." Arnold smiled.

"That's what friends are for, right?" he replied, holding out his hand. The two did their secret thumbshake, sharing a smile. "...Take care of her, Gerald." Gerald blinked.

"Heh, unlike you, I don't plan on marrying her just because she's gonna give birth to my kid. This is Helga Geraldine Pataki we're talking about, you know." Arnold smiled lightly, shaking his head.

"She'll grow on you," he warned, smiling almost sadly, before glancing up sharply. "Did you say Helga GERALDINE Pataki?"

& & & &

Gradually, the long summer days shortened and passed on, turning into months. The months rolled by, turning into years, and in no time at all, five years had passed. Arnold and Helga had gotten their divorce only a month or so after the whole fiasco had happened, and she had given birth to a beautiful bronze-skinned baby boy six months after that. When Phoebe came back that Thanksgiving, needless to say she was shocked that Helga was actually pregnant. The two of them sat down and had a long talk, and before the end of the night, they had made up. They still kept in touch through letters, the best of friends until the end. Arnold did take up Helga's suggestion and enrolled at the college Gerald went to. The two graduated four years later, as good of friends as they had ever been as well. Alongside all of his schoolwork, Gerald had also taken up a parental role for his son. He went by to see him and Helga quite often, as did Arnold. Since Arnold had been named godfather, the three were around each other all the time, and gradually formed their own strong triangle of friendship.

But it was on one particular day, those five years later, that two of them took their friendly relationship one step further.

With her son as ring barer, Helga proudly walked down the aisle of the church. Her mother was sitting in one of the front pews, already having used up a whole box of tissues. Her sister and Phoebe, decked out in their bridesmaid dresses, were waiting at the other end of the lane, smiling widely. Most of her other classmates were scattered throughout the church. Glancing to her side, Helga's smile softened as she looked up at her father. He was escorting her down the aisle, a proud smile playing on his lips.

Helga took one last deep breath, before looking towards the best man, the third from their little triangle. He sent her a wink, grinning widely.

Finally, Helga set her eyes on her soon-to-be-husband, and chuckled a bit. He smiled back at her, causing Helga's own smile to widen further as her eyes sparkled. Who would have thought...she and he...even after all they'd been through...

It was amazing, Helga decided, how things could begin in such a mess, and yet end so perfectly.

FIN

* * *

I'm posting who _I_ think she ends up with next, but it's an open-ended story, so it's really up to you:)

-Maxine


	3. What I think

Before I say who I think Helga ends up with, you allget to read all the reasons I think it could have been either one! Aren't you just SO lucky? Well, I guess you can just skip to the end, but it would be nice if you read this part first. It won't be TOO long, I promise! Anyway, here are the reasons:

Arnold -

Well, obvious things first. Helga DOES still have feelings for him. That much you can tell from how she deals with the whole "faking pregnancy" thing. She's loved him since pre-school, she IS married to him, and she knows she has to tell him the truth, but she doesn't want to hurt him. Did anyone notice that? She wasn't afraid to tell Arnold because she didn't want a divorce, she was afraid to tell him because she knew how hurt he would be. Through most of her thoughts, it seems like she's worrying more about how Arnold will take the news, and less about what will happen to HER once she's told him.

And then there's Arnold's perspective. Throughout the fic, we get glimpses of what he thinks of he and Helga's shotgun marriage. At first he's relieved that she agrees to marry him, but at that point it's only for the baby's sake. Two months into the marriage, he's already accepted the fact that they'll be together forever, and he's even beginning to LIKE the idea. In fact, it doesn't even bother him when he wakes up holding her. Then, in that same scene, the two share their first real kiss as husband and wife. After that, they appear to be more comfortable around each other. Arnold's even worried about Helga when he comes home from work that one day and she's crying. He IS shocked and angry, once she tells him the truth, but he seems to forgive her quickly. And he even seemed HURT when she mentioned a divorce. Not to mention it took them a month to finally get one. Arnold has obviously begun to care deeply for Helga. He proves this when he tells Gerald that "she'll grow on you," with the sad expression on his face. And finally, there's the fact that even after Helga lying to him, they have a special enough bond now that Helga feels comfortable enough around him to name him her son's godfather, and they become very close friends over the five-year span.

Gerald -

Gerald is a little more complicated. In the cartoon, Helga and Gerald don't really get along, and apparently not much has changed at the beginning of the fic. Gerald's shocked that Helga's pregnant with Arnold's child, and he doesn't exactly agree with the idea of them getting married so quickly. But they do anyway, and he's one of their witnesses. When we finally see Gerald again, it's when Helga has to stay with him. Neither he nor Helga seemed too pleased with that fact at first. Later in the week though, they're getting along a little better. But then when they wake up together, they close each other off again. That is, until Helga learns that she's pregnant.

This changes their relationship completely. In only a couple of hours, the two are more at ease around each other than they ever were before. Though Gerald didn't have plans to marry Helga right away, he does accept the role of being of a father to his unborn child. He does this when he asks Helga if he has to drop out of college. Obviously, he doesn't plan on abandoning her and he wants to help, but he's not sure if doing so will mean giving up school. Gerald even offers to go with Helga when she tells her parents, if only to offer silent support. When he would usually stay with Arnold and try to get his forgiveness or something, he instead wastes no time in leaving with Helga. After the baby is born, he ends up being around Helga much more so that he can see his son. Of course, this means spending more time with Helga herself, so they end up forming their own bond as parents to their child. And Helga obviously becomes good friends with him as well.

Now...who do I think Helga married?

Well, I have to say Gerald. And here's why:

For one thing, Arnold and Helga DID end up getting a divorce. It took them a while, showing that they were uncertain if they should or not, but in the end it did happen. In a way, it symbolizes that Arnold is completely giving Helga up. They remain friends, but most likely nothing else will happen between them. And I think he knows this, when he tell Gerald to take good care of her. Despite any feelings Helga still might have been harboring for him, and Arnold for her, he cuts all ties with her. Plus, Helga bore Gerald's son. No matter what the case, I don't think Arnold would have put himself in that awkward situation, and neither would Helga. Marrying the best friend of your son's father, especially when you see each other all the time? I think not.

But, all that aside, would Gerald ever propose to Helga? Well, they did wait five years. So they obviously had plenty of time to grow closer. They were good friends apparently, and we really have no way of knowing what else happened between them in those five years. Gerald was Helga's first, after all, and as mentioned so many times before, he WAS the father of her son. No matter what, these two are bound to each other in some way, if only because of their son. Of course they're going to have some sort of close relationship, I think they just decided to take it to the next step. Helga was excited she was having the baby, and Gerald didn't seem to mind, so they can't have hated each other TOO much anymore, right?

In any case, that's what I think! You all wanted to know, so there you have it. Make no mistake, I am an AxH fan first and foremost, there's just something about GxH that I happen to like as well. They make a fun and interesting couple when written correctly. It's strange, I usually don't like Phoebe and Arnold together, because in most of those fics (and I did say MOST) Helga still likes Arnold and I hate seeing her left out. But I don't mind seeing Helga with other people, minus Brainy (for some reason those two together rub me the wrong way), because Arnold didn't have any secret feelings for her in the first place, so everyone's still happy. And like most true-blue Hey Arnold fans, I can't stand Lila and Arnold together. Blech! Hehe. :)

-Maxine

P.S. Thanks for reading!


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